The inclusion of Manchester United benchwarmer Christian Eriksen ahead of in-form Brondby star Nicolai Vallys in the latest Denmark squad has been labelled ‘completely scandalous’.
At least, that is the view of former Premier League and Everton enforcer Thomas Gravesen.
While there was never any doubt that Manchester United veteran Christian Eriksen would be part of Kasper Hjulmand’s roster for March’s friendlies with Switzerland and the Faroe Islands, Gravesen feels that form should count for more than reputation.
And there is no doubt that, when it comes to ‘form’, Vallys is well ahead of Eriksen as things stand.
Christian Eriksen out of favour at Manchester United
“It is completely scandalous that he has not selected Nicolai Vallys,” Gravesen tells Tipsbladet. “It is a scandal of great proportions that we have a national coach who looks so little towards (players plying their trade in) Denmark.”
While Eriksen has only featured in one of Manchester United’s last seven league games – coming off the bench in that 2-1 home defeat to Fulham – Vallys has 10 goals and five assists in 20 top-five matches for Danish giants Brondby.
“It’s incredible. It is the biggest scandal in recent national team history that they still choose to disregard a player (Vallys) who is clearly better than the vast majority of those he has selected,” adds Gravesen, who also represented Celtic and Real Madrid.
“The Christian Eriksen we all know, he is no longer there. Christian Eriksen doesn’t play football anymore. You simply have to have respect for the people who run and work hard day in and day out and play football and are successful on the field. You have to respect that.
“You’ve got to have respect for the work that goes on in the (Danish) Super League.”
‘It’s a scandal’
Hjulmand himself admitted, while claiming that Rasmus Hojlund will make his return against Liverpool in the FA Cup this weekend, that he is not particularly happy with the ‘situation’ Eriksen finds himself in at Old Trafford.
Now 32, the former Tottenham playmaker has been a man of diminishing returns ever since that injury he picked up against Reading 14 months ago.
Vallys, in contrast, is playing the best football of his career. So much so that a shock move to Manchester United was mooted, albeit briefly, on the other side of Christmas.
“My point is that you have to select some players who have rhythm in them and who have success and self-confidence. Yes, Christian Eriksen has shown that, at his top level, he is better than Nicolai Vallys,” Gravesen argues.
“But Nicolai Vallys has not had the chance to show himself among players of a higher calibre. Vallys is in 100 times better shape than Christian Eriksen is.
“You simply cannot bring a player who has not played for two and a half months. He got 38 minutes against Fulham. The Danish national team is not a friendly club. It’s about winning, and that has been a problem for Kasper Hjulmand ever since Qatar (the World Cup).
“It is not my wish to attack a player like Christian Eriksen, who has been through so much, and who is now facing adversity again in Manchester. It is not his fault that he is singled out. And of course you don’t say no when you are selected for the national team.
“But it is clearly Kasper Hjulmand’s fault that he is not man enough to make these decisions.”
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